HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 335 



Fort Ontario, at Oswego, evacuated or put on the same footing 

 with Fort Stanwix. The Indians answered that it might stay 

 and the others also, so long as they were civilly treated at them. 



The next year he went to Onondaga, arriving there July lo, 

 1769. The chiefs of that nation and neighboring villages were 

 in great need of corn from a failure of their crops. Before the 

 public council he held several private conferences with chiefs in 

 their hunting cabins. Returning late one night, his canoe upset, 

 and in ascending the bank he hurt his wounded leg. When a 

 little easier, he held a council. Then he went to Cayuga and met 

 500 Indians, and thence to the Senecas, where he met 2000 more. 

 While he was there, word came that some Cherokees were on 

 their way to Onondaga to attend a general council in September. 

 These chiefs afterward spoke with 20 belts, desiring to renew 

 and strengthen their alliance. During his stay with the Senecas 

 Indians came from several nations with belts of union etc. At 

 this time Johnson reported 2000 warriors among the Six Nations. 

 His edition of the Mohawk prayer book was finished that year, 

 400 copies being printed, and few surviving the war. 



There was a council at Shamokin Pa. that year, which illus- 

 trated in several ways the effect of religious teaching on the Six 

 Nations, desultory as it had been : 



Sunday, August 20, 1769. — The Indians having understood that 

 Doctor Smith was to have Divine Service to White People assem- 

 bled at the Fort, Seneca George sent Notice that his People wor- 

 shipped the same God with the English, and would attend Divine 

 Service, which they did accordingly, with great Decency, and 

 Isaac Still interpreted the Conclusion of the Discourse, which was 

 particularly addressed to them. 



The chief's son had been shot in July by a nephew of Conrad 

 Weiser, and Frederick Weiser spoke of this in the council. 



Seneca George was much affected when the matter was brought 

 up and said, " He was all the Child I had ; and now I am old, 

 the loss of him hath almost entirely cut away nry Heart, but I 

 am yet pleased my Brother Weiser, the Son of my old Friend, 

 has taken this Method to dry my Tears. 



